Missed Opportunities
by kaitou-marron
Summary: Aomine and Kise's inability to be honest about their feelings for one another prevents them from making the connection they truly desire. (Spoilers: Through chapter 203 of the manga; AoKise)


"The magazine with Ki-chan's latest photo-shoot is out," Momoi announces to the Teikou basketball club starters. The glossy pages of the magazine flop around as she shakes the publication.

"I didn't know you were into things like that, Momoicchi," Kise says, a crooked smile stretching his lips.

"I'm interested in anything that gives me more data," she tells him with eerie professionalism. "Here," she says handing the spread to Aomine. "Do you want to see?"

Aomine, reacting instinctively to having something shoved at him, takes the opened magazine. As his actions process in his mind, he mutters, "Why the hell would I want to see?" He plans on saying more, but the words die on his lips. The Kise staring back at him from the pages is beautiful. Each photo shows Kise's alabaster complexion, smoldering eyes, and toned physique perfectly.

Aomine doesn't know how long he stares at the magazine, but blood rushes to his face when Kise interrupts his daze.

"Is something the matter, Aominecchi?"

When Aomine looks up, he notices the other boy sporting a rueful smile. Aomine could respond honestly and simply tell Kise that he is stunning. However, as Aomine looks around the room, he's painfully aware of his peers staring at him like some sort of lab experiment. "I don't know why you're wasting your time on stuff like this," he blurts out tersely. Slamming the pages shut, he tosses the magazine back to Momoi. Aomine's gaze meets Kise's, and the hurt look shining in the other boy's golden-brown eyes causes Aomine's heart to drop to his stomach.

* * *

When Aomine's basketball skills begin exploding past all expectation, Kise immediately realizes the other boy's passion for the game diminishes. Iciness replaces joy in Aomine's face during practices and official matches. Kise's heart breaks at this change in Aomine's attitude, as the other boy's skill and pure love for basketball inspired him to play the game in the first place.

Kise tells himself time and time again to let Aomine know that he'll keep practicing, and that he won't stop until he defeats the other boy on the court. Deep inside, he hopes his efforts will be enough to prevent Aomine from becoming discouraged by the lack of competition. However, Kise never quite finds the right time, place, and situation - or perhaps courage - to express his sentiments. He's left wondering if his words would have any impact on the other boy.

* * *

When his cell phone rings at some ungodly hour in the middle of the night, Aomine reaches clumsily for the wailing electronic device sitting on his nightstand a string of expletives coursing through his head. "Kise, what the hell is it?" he answers by way of greeting.

"Aominecchi, let's play a game," Kise begs, his voice hushed but excited.

"Huh?" Aomine asks. He checks his alarm clock. "It's four in the morning on Saturday. Are you crazy?"

Aomine hears Kise exhale softly. After a pause, Kise replies, "Well, I have a photo-shoot starting at 8, so I just thought if we met now, then we'd have a few hours..."

Aomine's groggy, sleep-deprived brain doesn't dignify Kise with an answer. He turns off the phone, lies back down, and pulls the covers over his head.

Kise doesn't approach Aomine about playing a one-on-one game for nearly a month.

* * *

The day that Kise graduates from middle school, he finds his attention hopelessly split. His first photo-album had just recently been released, and his female classmates flock around him like the starving around the only morsel of food. Meanwhile, he desperately tries to hold Aomine's interest.

"It's our last day. We should at least play one more game, Aominecchi. We're going to different high schools, so who knows the next time we'll be able to play with one another."

The dark-skinned boy agrees but quickly becomes apprehensive upon being swept up in the blockade of girls surrounding Kise. "Just leave them," he whispers.

"I can't," Kise replies softly, his lips puckering to a pout. "This is part of my job. It'll only take a minute."

To the crowd, Kise flashes his most dazzling smile and announces, "Everybody, thank you for supporting me. I'll be happy to sign autographs."

Five minutes pass before Aomine reaches his pain threshold. "I'm leaving," he mutters. "See you around."

Kise surveys the girls gathered around him (which can only be described as numbers totaling a small mob) and weighs his duty as a model and a public figure with his desire to spend time with Aomine. He can't get the image of his stern manager out of his head, so he waves Aomine away.

Kise does not realize how much he regrets his decision until Kaijou faces Touou at the Interhigh tournament, and he sees Aomine in all of his splendor.

* * *

"Have you talked to Ki-chan since school's started?" Momoi asks one day, much to Aomine's surprise.

"We're in high school now. We go to different schools. Obviously the answer is no."

"Hmm," Momoi murmurs, cupping her chin in a hand.

"I haven't talked to the others either," Aomine grumbles defensively.

"I sort of thought things were different between you and Ki-chan. You know how he holds you in high regards."

Aomine laughs, the sound sharp and biting. "Not any more than the rest of us." The lie rings hollow as he recalls his middle school years being besieged by, "Aominecchi, let's play a game! Aominecchi, one more match!" The earnest look in Kise's eyes still burns brightly in Aomine's memories.

Momoi puffs out her cheeks, obviously disappointed by Aomine's answer. "I worry about him sometimes." Glancing at Aomine, she hesitates and then reaches into her school bag. She pulls out a folder with magazine spread after magazine spread of Kise, all recently dated. "He also just lost an unofficial match against Tetsu-kun's team."

"Kise'll be fine," Aomine replies. "That's his thing, right? Always being fine no matter what he does."

"Sometimes it's not up to him," Momoi says. She pulls out printed copies of a blog. "This is from Misora Reika's blog, the model from," Momoi pauses to flip through the images in her folder, "this photo-shoot with Ki-chan. She recounts how he was perfect shot after shot, but she's the one who needed all the allotted frames to finish the job. Think about how something like this could mess with Ki-chan's time."

"Kise's a big boy," Aomine says, eyes narrowed. "He should know how much he can handle. He has been juggling basketball and modeling for the last few years."

"It doesn't hurt to ask. I think he'll be more responsive if you talk to him."

"Is this what your data tells you?" Aomine asks, half-mockingly. Pulling out his cell phone, Aomine thinks about how much time has passed between the last time he and Kise spoke, and how much they have to catch up on. His heart constricts painfully in his chest at the realization. However, Aomine's mind refuses to linger on these confusing, unfamiliar feelings, so he takes the easy way out. Meeting Momoi's gaze straight on, Aomine repeats, "Kise'll be fine." He puts away his mobile phone once more.

* * *

After entering high school, Kise finds himself falling into the odd habit of pulling up Aomine's number on his cell phone, staring the LCD screen, and then putting the phone away before taking any action. He's managed to keep up with the other members of the Generation of Miracles via texts, calls, or surprise visits to their practices. However, when concerning Aomine, everything Kise thinks about discussing sounds idiotic and trite. Today is no exception.

Kise racks his brain for something interesting to say or inquire about, but all he can think of at this moment is to scold the other boy for not going to practice. (Momoi has complained to him about this particular problem numerous times.) With a disappointed sigh, Kise watches the screen of his cell phone dim as the battery saver kicks in. Frustrated, he shoves the phone back into his pocket.

* * *

After Kaijou loses to Touou in the quarterfinals of the Interhigh tournament, Aomine finds himself the bearer of many emotions. Validation from winning is normal. However, he does not anticipate the myriad of unidentifiable feelings surrounding Kise that rush through his system.

When Aomine received his fourth foul during the game, Kise gave him a look reminiscent to that of a wounded puppy. Anger had been Aomine's initial reaction. Now the memory elicits an emotion he can't quite comprehend leaving him feeling unsettled. As he stares at Kise struggling to stand in the aftermath of the game, his heart thuds oddly in his chest.

Aomine's knees ache from the abuse they suffered throughout the match, so the fact that Kise's legs refuse to work following the prolonged strain of extreme speed and unfamiliar movements comes as no surprise. Aomine realizes he has a decision to make – he can either help his old friend or turn his back on him. It wouldn't be the first time Aomine has offered his hand to Kise. But this situation is different. The official game represents battling teams and basketball philosophies.

Deciding that ego trumps familiar comfort, Aomine forces himself to walk away from Kise. As Kasamatsu hoists Kise up, Aomine can't help but think, '_I'm the one who should there for Kise. I've always been there in the past.'_

* * *

The morning after Touou's victory over Kaijou in the Interhigh tournament, Aomine feels compelled to check up on Kise. During their days at Teikou, the blond-haired boy most often chose Aomine to practice with, so Aomine has confidence in matters concerning the other boy's habits (in light of those pesky modeling commitments). Getting up before dawn, Aomine hauls his tired self to the outside court closest to Kise's home. As he approaches, the sound of a ball pounding against the pavement fills his ears. Aomine smiles comforted that he and Kise still share this connection.

Aomine, content watching the other boy, observes from an inconspicuous distance. He can tell that that Kise focuses on speed and agility. However, Aomine notices that Kise's movements lack fluidity, most likely due to over-exertion from the prior day's match. Aomine watches in horror as Kise's legs give out on him, causing the boy to collapse on the ground, hard. He quickly moves towards Kise but stops mid-motion when somebody enters the court from the opposite direction. Aomine recognizes this person as Kaijou's team captain.

"I thought I'd find you here overworking yourself," Kasamatsu says.

Kise lifts his head, and shakily says, "Senpai, I have to get better. I want to help our team. I keep on thinking about what more I could have done in yesterday's match."

"You also need to watch your health," Kasamatsu answers, holding out a hand to Kise.

For the second time in as many days, Aomine watches Kasamatsu pull Kise to his feet. Jealousy rushes through Aomine, as Kasamatsu provides comfort and support to Kise in a way that Aomine used to…and perhaps still wants to. With a heavy sigh, Aomine sadly accepts that he may no longer be the person that knows Kise the best. Quietly, he turns around and walks away leaving Kise to Kasamatsu.

* * *

Following Kaijou's elimination from the Winter Cup, Kise balances the disappointment associated with loss and the exhilaration of a truly great game. '_We, as a team, gave it our all. I'll be more prepared next time.'_

"Kise-kun." A quiet voice interrupts Kise's thoughts as he leaves the gym for the evening.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise gasps. "What are you doing here? Actually, how long have you been here?"

"I've been waiting for you. I think there's something you should know, but I didn't want to tell you before our game."

Kise studies Kuroko's face for clues about the conversation to come but gives up quickly. He has never been able to figure out Kuroko's thoughts, and today those cold, blue eyes betray nothing. "What is it?" Kise asks.

"It's about Aomine-kun," Kuroko says.

"Aominecchi? What about?"

"Aomine found Haizaki-kun after your teams' match and punched him."

Kise's feels the blood drain from his face. "That's crazy! He could get in a lot of trouble for something like that. Why would Aominecchi resort to violence? "

Kuroko's gaze is as unwavering as ever. "Maybe he thought he had no other option to defend you."

The notion that Aomine could feel protective on his behalf causes Kise's heart to race. "Why are you telling me this, Kurokocchi?"

"I thought you should know. You usually figure out the right thing to do when given information." Kuroko stares at Kise with an intensity that makes Kise feel as if the other boy is peering into soul.

Kise sighs, unsure of the message behind Kuroko's vague words. "Okay, Kurokocchi. Thanks. And good luck with your game against Rakuzan; it's not going to be an easy match."

"I know."

After the two young men part ways, Kise's thoughts focus on Kuroko and Aomine.

'_Why did Kurokocchi feel the need to tell me that Aominecchi hit Haizaki? Does he suspect that I'm in love with Aominecchi?'_ Kise wonders. After a brief pause, his thoughts continue to flow. '_That's impossible. Kurokocchi can't have figured it out. Even I wasn't sure how I felt until recently.'_

Kise blames himself for not figuring out his true feelings for Aomine earlier. Sometime during middle school, his admiration for Aomine progressed to infatuation. During that time, Kise refused to process his emotions, worried about negative affects they could have on Teikou's team harmony. Instead, Kise chose to combine his developing interest in Aomine with his passion for basketball, never daring to separate the two. Attending a different high school than Aomine detaches basketball from the other boy. Kise misses Aomine's presence so fiercely that he can no longer deny that he has fallen in love with the other boy.

However, with Kuroko's information, Kise wonders if the distance between Aomine and himself is as wide as he fears. Deciding to take a straight-forward approach, Kise texts Aomine requesting a meet up. The other boy responds almost immediately, and the two of them quickly agree on a place later that evening.

When the boys meet up at a coffee shop (Kise's choice), Kise orders a drink, while Aomine waves his hands uninterested.

Once settled in comfortable seats, Aomine asks, "So what it is you wanted to talk about?"

"I heard about your confrontation with Haizaki," Kise starts. "When I told you about him, I wasn't asking you to solve my problem for me."

"I know," Aomine answers. "I was outraged that he chose to play dirty. With his personality, I knew he'd be waiting to ambush you after the game. So I chose to find him, and I chose to punch him. It's not your fault."

Aomine sounds so calm, but this answer does nothing to assuage the guilt Kise feels burning in the pit of his stomach. "If word gets out that you hit another player, you could get in trouble. It'd reflect poorly on Touou, as well. I don't want to cause you problems," Kise says lowly, his eyes narrowed.

"Haizaki's not really the type to go shooting his mouth about losses. So I don't think my actions will lead to any sort of reprimand in the future."

Kise studies the other boy's expression carefully and is startled by the indignant anger shining in Aomine's eyes on his behalf. "I could have taken care of myself," Kise protests.

Aomine sighs. "Haizaki likes bullying you. It was his way of both drawing out and dealing with his losing battle against you during our second year at Teikou. If he was willing to hurt you on court in front of referees and a stadium full of spectators, what do you think he would have done after the game? You know better than anybody about Haizaki's tendency for extreme aggression. What would you have done, Kise? What could you have done in an unfavorable situation like that?"

"I would have figured something out," Kise mutters. However, a chill sweeps through his body as memories of being the target of Haizaki's torture surface.

Aomine shakes his head. "You wouldn't use violence, even if the circumstances necessitated it. It's not in your nature. As a public figure, you know better. You can't go around getting in fights. What would that do to your image?"

Kise opens his mouth to defend himself but finds he has no response. Aomine laughs. The sound, warm and genuine, washes over Kise giving rise to gooseflesh. How long has he waited to hear this sound again?

Shooting Aomine a rueful smile, Kise says, "I guess I'll just say thanks? But now I feel like I owe you something."

"The bond between the Generation of Miracles isn't something to be taken lightly. Even though we're not on the same team now, it's not like we won't still watch out for each other. Speaking of which, how's your leg?"

"It hurts," Kise responds dismissively. "We all make sacrifices for the love of the game, right?"

Aomine scowls. "You don't want any permanent damage. You should probably stay off of it for a while. Do that modeling thing a little more for a while. I know you cut way back on your jobs."

Kise's mouth drops open in surprise. "Aominecchi, how did you know? Are you paying attention to my work?"

"Satsuki still has that stuff on her radar, okay?" Aomine replies his tone slightly defensive.

"Ah, so she's still collecting all of my photo-shoots for the sake of her data?"

"Of course," Aomine answers. "She's been tracking your interviews, your blog, and blogs of other models you work with regarding the shoots you guys do together. Why the hell do you have a blog anyway?"

"Momoicchi is thorough as always," Kise comments, a grin on his face. "Actually, I'm sort of impressed. And is it surprising that I have a professional blog? I post a picture and a few lines every few days and then spend my time in between entries answering comments from fans, naturally."

"There's nothing natural about that," Aomine retorts, a playful gleam in his eyes.

Kise's laughter flows like a waterfall. The mood between the two of them feels comfortable, just as if they had never left middle school.

When Kise's lips sober, Aomine asks. "So, who has the big mouth?"

Kise blinks. "Pardon?"

Aomine rolls his eyes. "Who told you about me punching Haizaki? Was it Satsuki?"

"Wrong. Kurokocchi told me." Kise pauses to stretch in his seat. "Kurokocchi really is amazing; he's always the one who makes a difference. I'm kind of jealous of him, actually."

Aomine shoots Kise a quizzical look. "Why?"

Kise wonders how honest he should be. Mustering his courage, he decides to start a conversation he's not sure either he or Aomine is ready for. "You."

"Me?" Surprise shines in Aomine's deep, blue eyes.

Kise gives the other boy a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, he was able to get through to you, when I wasn't able to. I see a bit of the old you back. Your love and excitement for basketball has been revived, and it's all because of Kurokocchi. I really wanted to be the one to give you your love of the game back."

"So, basically, you're saying that you wanted to be the one to beat me, bastard," Aomine says, a playful smile twisting his lips.

"Maybe it's just that simple," Kise murmurs. "But I think Kurokocchi's accomplishing something special...trying to break Teikou's philosophy on basketball. I've been thinking differently about the game since I've played against Kurokocchi's team. I've seen both you and Midorimacchi transform, too."

Aomine raises an eyebrow but says nothing.

Everything about this moment evokes a relaxed atmosphere. Kise feels like the past is within his grasp. He wants even more but isn't sure how much he should push Aomine. Before Kise can figure out what he really wants to say, his mouth speaks without permission of his brain. "I'm glad we're spending time together. I've missed you." After the words leave his mouth, he realizes how utterly embarrassing and needy they sound. He feels the heat crawl up his neck until his entire face burns.

Aomine focuses his gaze on Kise, staring intently for a moment. The puzzled look in Aomine's eyes tells Kise that the other boy hasn't quite discovered that that the feelings between them constitute more than friendship.

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't missed our one-on-one matches, and, I guess, being around you, too. I think we ought to make a better effort to stay in touch. And maybe we should try to find the time to practice with one another," Aomine offers.

'_Ah,'_ Kise thinks. '_So that's the conclusion you've come to.'_ Kise decides that being patient and focusing on bringing familiarity back to their relationship is his best option. _'I'll wait for you to figure out your feelings, Aominecchi,'_ Kise transmits to Aomine silently. _'I'll be as patient as you need me to be.'_

Forcing a self-confident smirk, Kise says, "Promise me that you'll make time for me, Aominecchi."

Aomine returns Kise's request with a wide smile. "It's a promise."

For now, this promise is enough to give Kise hope for the future – a future where Aomine realizes that he loves Kise as much Kise loves him.

**Author's Notes:** I've got the "first time writing in this fandom" jitters. I hope you all enjoyed. As always, any feedback/con-crit is much appreciated.

X-posted to AO3 and my LJ


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